Countdown for Congress

The brutal eviction of Baba Ramdev’s congregation more or less matches in significance the dastardly Babri Masjid demolition. The politics and religion linkage is likely to dominate the public discourse as the rules of the game have been altered for ever. Decimation of the Left also signals a fertile ground for religion to take root.

Besides, with the blatant breach of trust (a la Italy), social capital has taken a severe beating. For, when it comes to the State, ethical imperatives acquire multiplied import.  The contrast is accentuated when the name of the Father of the Nation is invoked. Devoid of civility and compassion, governance loses legitimacy.  

Terrifying a harmless crowd in the dead of night in the heart of the capital has turned a legend. Sanjay Gandhi’s Turkman Gate episode easily comes to the mind. Rajiv Gandhi, rather, had played Western Music for Tikait. Sonia Gandhi’s Congress, in a way, has started digging its own grave. [TNM55]